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7/24/13

Tomorrow I am going to Oregon for three weeks. I will see friends, I will see family, I will see my old stomping grounds; I will celebrate my birthday and I will wear shoes that I never get to wear here in the land of (beloved) trees and dirt. I will see a friend get married, and I will see friends I haven't seen in a long time. Quite possibly, I will not spend much time on the computer or on this blog. Or, just as possibly, I will feel super inspired to chronicle my journeys and I will load you with photos and stories and sweet memories of the lush state where I first became a mother.

Who knows.

I do know these things:

I am way stoked on all of your comments on my last post. Thank you. thank you for reading, for feeling me, and for commenting. All of your comments particularly touched me on this one.

Yesterday, Suzanne at The House of Milk featured me on her blog. For this I feel quite honored, pleasantly surprised, and very thankful. I met Suzanne through the blogosphere...and we just so happened to both live in Chico. wtf? so awesome! Her blog is gorgeous and so is she.

I have packed approximately 12 pairs of shoes for my three-week trip. And I'm not ashamed. This is one of the most glorious aspects of car travel.

I recently have been getting to know my neighbors who have children that can play with my child. Today when my oven exploded, the neighbors fixed it and then invited me and Asher over for a dinner of homemade meatloaf and pickles, tomatoes, green beans and melon. And wine.

These things, together or apart...and along with many other things unmentioned and unrealized, mean that life is really good; there is so much to be thankful for.

7/21/13

Did you also know that I take photos of my models outside of my storage unit?

That is indeed a garage door you see behind these beauties. Having recently moved into a sweet and small home, I had to put my vintage in a storage unit so that i could actually live in my house. rather than haul the vintage elsewhere for photoshoots, i decided to bring the models up there to shoot. i created a little "dressing room" amongst all the dresses and racks, and we use the natural light (plus natural beauty) to shoot all the outfits.

while it may not be perfect, and i am always working on refining my photos, it certainly works. it is also important for me to make things work, regardless of the circumstances. as a vintage seller, there is always something that could be better, prettier, smoother, etc. for me, i find it's important to navigate around or through these issues, rather than let them be total blocks. because sometimes that can happen - i.e. "i don't have a perfect space for shooting, therefore i cannot shoot at all." i have had that thought so many times, my friends. so many times.

very often, i think about this:

to pursue our passions, we have to start where we are. we have to use the resources that are within our reach, that we can touch with our fingers. we must do something each day, for the oh-so-distant day we sometimes imagine is not as relevant as this day, these actions, these resources. each day calls for something different, really: a different approach, strategy, or technique.

for me, i feel the impact of the seasons on my work. for instance, in summer, my son is home every day. all day. the workspace changes, the work day changes. priorities change and possibilities shift. it is up to me to recognize this and to gracefully move with it. sometimes i'm better at it than others. here is Asher during my most recent shoot:

improvise, improvise, improvise. right? what do you think? do you ever limit yourself unintentionally because you feel like something else is limiting you?

and what is your favorite vintage item in the photos?! i am loving the rayon florals. there are really some gems in the whole 90s comeback trend; i'm a fan.

7/19/13

7/16/13

As promised, here is the second installment of photograph magic from my recent lookbook collaboration. Like all of my lookbooks, these are intended as a source of inspiration and joy for those who see them. Collaboration is (for me) the most fun and most rewarding aspect of creative production. (Did you miss the first round of photos? View them here.)

Again, if you have any questions about any of the pieces in this shoot, please email me with your inquiries or leave a comment in this thread. the earrings are all available through Claire, and the rainbow necklace by Popoja is one-of-a-kind and still available. The vintage mesh dress is rad and still available in my shop, and the handmade fringe burlesque outfit is available for purchase (burning man?); just send an inquiry, as it is not listed online.

7/15/13

Love is the ultimate outlaw. It just won’t adhere to any rules. The most any of us can do is to sign on as its accomplice. Instead of vowing to honor and obey, maybe we should swear to aid and abet. That would mean that security is out of the question. The words “make" and “stay" become inappropriate. My love for you has no strings attached. I love you for free.

-Tom Robbins

...

I just spent a few days in Big Sur. Wow. I'd never been there before, and I can't wait to go back and explore more. here are a few Instagram photos for those of you who don't follow me there....I have yet to upload the slew of photos from my actual camera.

7/11/13

Last month I collaborated with some local favorites to produce a summer photo collection/lookbook. I may do two posts on these photos because there are so many beautiful ones! The "looks" are a collaboration between Lost Boys + Lovers (wardrobe) and Claire Fong Jewelry (or visit her shop, here)...Claire is one of my favorite local earring designers and I believe I have posted about her before. And the photographs are by the ever-talented and amazing Melanie MacTavish, who I have cartainly posted about before and who has photographed other projects of mine. Love her! I also featured a few beautiful items from Popoja in the shoot; and we were graced by the magnificent modeling presence of local beauty, Melanie King.

Here are some images for you to feast your eyes on today. Many thanks to all of the women involved in making this photoshoot happen.

Photography: Melanie MacTavish

Wardrobe: Lost Boys + Lovers/Claire Fong

Earrings/Necklaces: Claire Fong

Bracelets/Necklaces: Popoja

Model: Melanie King

*If you have any questions about any of the pieces in this shoot, please email me with your inquiries or leave a comment in this thread. I am going to post a second installation of photos tomorrow, so check back!

7/6/13

Hey babes of the blogworld. I'm on a mini vacation at my mom's house in Tahoe again. remember this? Summer here is so magical. But for now, I'm going to do a brief interlude about Devendra Banhart and Ana Kras. WHAT!? do you know about them? I am, in general, pretty unaware of pop culture. But, after finding a gorgeous photo of a kiss online, I dug deeper and found out that it is an image of Devendra and his lady, Ana.

This photo floors me. I find it particularly striking that it is a celebrity couple - the intimacy and trust and desire in this photo are so raw, so earthy, so....familiar. once i found out it who it was, I looked them up more - and for those of you who don't know, they have an impossibly sweet love story, and a plethora of amazing photos of the two of them. So grateful to these two for sharing their love with us in this way.

I pulled my photos from this article, which has several more great images.

Cheers to love, and to finding those people (romantic or not) who speak your language and know your heart.

7/1/13

I spent the weekend at a girlfriend's house and we did very excellent girl things like hosting tea parties and clothing swaps, drinking champagne, and baking peach tortes. we also ate grapes and figs in abundance and made lavish breakfasts. the heat was amazing - the sun beating so hard that people flung off their clothes, celebrated the season and gave thanks for summer.

I could tell you...but I am sure you already know the magic of the summer porch nights:

the dinner and dining turns to laughter and wine. slowly the light fades and the candles are lit. the warmth of the sun stays trapped in the rocks and the earth, emanating upwards (still, even in the dark). you walk around barefoot and pick at the leftovers; you have another glass of wine. you share stories; you laugh until you cry. you think about doing the dishes, but then you don't because tomorrow will come and there will be more time to do everything, and this moment is too precious to waste. you must drink up every drop of it - you must open your arms fully and feel the vastness of this tiny, glowing moment.